Shell for apparatuses working in sound-absorbing, heat insulating or airtight conditions

ABSTRACT

A housing for apparatuses working in sound-absorbing, heat insulating or airtight conditions, e.g. air conditioning devices, the walls, the bottom and the ceiling of which are assembled of elementary, self-supporting insulation plates giving the whole housing a rigidity and good carrying capacity, each plate comprising two parallel metal sheets arranged at a distance from each other the rims of which are pressed together and bent as to form a shank and a channel, the metal sheets defining an interior space therebetween. According to the invention the shanks of two adjacent insulation plates serve on one hand for connecting the plates and on the other hand as a support of an insulating means, the interior space of each plate being completely filled with a hard porous material consistently connected with the inside surfaces of both the metal sheets.

United States Patent 1191 Frei [ Dec. 17, 1974 1 1 SHELL FOR APPARATUSES WORKING IN SOUND-ABSORBING, HEAT INSULATING OR AIRTIGI-IT CONDITIONS Ernst Frei, Konolfingen, Switzerland [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Hermann Pieren AG, Canton of Berne, Switzerland 22 Filed: Nov. 30, 1972 21 Appl.No.:.310,757

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data '52/309, 584, 404,406, 542, 588, 86, 615, 619; 220/9 R, 9 F, 9 G; 126/98 3,432,196 3/1969 Marchiorello 52/584 3,479,784 11/1969 Massagli 52/588 3,535,844 10/1970 Glards 52/619 3,540,116 11/1970 Drahos 52/619 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 253,186 3/1967 Austria 52/588 Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kaufman & Kramer [57] ABSTRACT A housing for apparatuses working in soundabsorbing, heat insulating or airtight conditions, e.g.

air conditioning devices, the walls, the bottom and the ceiling of which are assembled of elementary, selfsupporting insulation plates giving the whole housing a rigidity and good carrying capacity, each plate comprising two parallel metal sheets arranged at a distance from each other the rims of which are pressed together and bent as to form a shank and a channel, the metal sheets defining an interior space therebetween. According to the invention the shanks of two adjacent [56] References cued insulation plates serve on one hand for connecting the UNITED STATES PATENTS plates and on the other hand as a support of an insu- 417,094 12/1889 Sagendorph 52/648 Wing means, the interior Space of each Plate being 1,652,055 12/1927 Schwartz 52/619 completely filled with a hard porous material consis- 2.271.355 1/1942 Sweet 52/615 tently connected with the inside surfaces of both the 2,960,196 ll/1960 Meserole 52/615 ta] h t 3,114,470 12/1963 McDill 220/10 3,252,258 5/1966 Blickman 52/584 5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 1) 1d 14 5C1 8 3 5 2 5 6 50 l .10

PATENTE EEC] H974 sum 2 OF 4 FIG.3

PATEHTEU m1 11814 3, 854.261

SHEET 14 0F 4 SHELL FOR APPARATUSES WORKING IN SOUND-ABSORBING, HEAT INSULATING OR AIRTIGHT CONDITIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a housing for apparatuses working in sound-absorbing, heat insulating or airtight conditions, the walls, the bottoms and the ceiling of which are assembled of elementary self-supporting insulation plates, each plate comprising two parallel metal sheets arranged at a distance from each other the rims of which are pressed together and bent as to form a shank and a channel, the metal sheets defining an interior space therebetween. Such housings are used e.g. with airconditioning and ventilation plants or as an encasing for machines and apparatuses.

The hereto known housings for apparatuses being used in aninsulated space comprise a frame construction on which insulation plates are screwed. It is evident that such housings with screwed-on insulation plates cannot be wholly airtight. Besides, the frame construction which is usually made of metal sheet is in no way sound-absorbing or heat insulating, even when during the assembly an elastic seal means is inserted between the plate rims which are formed as shanks and the reset frame rims.

Another known housing does not comprise any frame construction, however the assembling of such a housing is time consuming, as it will be described later; besides many assembly parts are needed. In the inside and outside ledges of the walls and the ceiling there are inserted insulation elements, whereafter the ledges are mounted from the outside of the walls and the ceiling. The inside and outside ledges are then screwed together by means of bolts. The transition parts between the bottom and the wall and between the wall and the ceiling have to be sealed separately.

The use of plastic material as insulating material to be inserted between the two walls is known. However, the surface of the insulation plates comprising such an insulating material yields to a comparatively slight pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hence, from what has been stated above it will be recognized that this particular field of technology is still in need of a housing for apparatuses working in soundabsorbing, heat insulating or airtight conditions. Thus it is a primary object of the present invention to produce a housing avoiding the afore-mentioned drawbacks.

Another significant object of the present invention aims at overcoming the above-explained drawbacks by providing a housing consisting of a minimum number of construction elements, with which housing an effective insulation of the closed space can be achieved; besides the housing should have a good carrying capacity.

Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the inventive housing is manifested by the features that the shanks of two plates serve on one hand for connecting the plates and on the other hand as a support of an insulating means and that the interior space of each plate is completely filled with a hard porous material consistently connected with the inside surfaces of both the metal sheets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of two plates arranged perpendicularly to each other with an insulation means and a cover lid, which plates are used for construction of a housing for apparatuses working in sound-absorbing, heat insulating or airtight conditions;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of two plates arranged to each other in one horizontal plane with an insulation means and a cover lid;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a single plate with a reinforcement angle;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of three cover lids which are put together;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of an intersection of three cover lids with a cover cap;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the disassembled intersection point of four fiat cover lids with the cover cap;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the rim portions of an elementary insulation plate with a reinforcing rail;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the plate according to FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the elementary insulation plate from another side as in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Describing now the drawings, and considering first the exemplary embodiment of a housing for apparatuses which have to work in a sound-absorbing, heat insulating or airtight environment, it will be understood that such a housing will be preferably made of elementary insulation plates 1 which are connected together to form a housing. The plates 1 according to FIGS. 1 3 and 7 9 have the same dimensions and are therefore interchangeable. The plate rims are bent towards outside to form shanks 2, as it can be seen from the FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The shanks 2 of the two adjacent plates 1 which lie in one plane are so arranged that they lie closely to each other across their whole length; whereas the shanks 2 of the two adjacent plates which are arranged perpendicularly to each other, do not contact at all. The two adjacent plates 1 are screwed together by means of bolts 3 and nuts 4, which bolts pass the shanks 2 and reinforcement angles 5 and 9 on both sides of the shanks 2; in this way the walls, the bottom and the ceiling and finally the whole housing will be put together.

Each reinforcement angle 5 placed on the inside of the shank 2 has a tongue 5a, which is adapted to be inserted in a channel 14 formed by the shank 2 and the bent rim of the sheet 1a of the plate 1, whereby its free end lies approximately 0.0788 inch from the bottom of the channel. There will be put on the shank 2 with the screwed-on reinforcement angles 5 and possibly 9 an insulating means 6, 6a which can also be profiled. De-

pending on the arrangement of the plates 1 to one another (perpendicularly or in one plane) the insulating means 6, 6a is covered from outside either by a cover lid 7 or by a cover lid 8.

The cover lids according to FIG. 4 are of two different types, one of which being denoted with the reference number 7 and the other one with the reference number 8. Each cover lid 7 and 8 has rims 7a and 8a which are bent inwards, so that by pushing the cover lids 7, 8 on the shanks 2, the rims 7a, 8a will snap behind the tongues 5a of the reinforcement angle 5, whereby the insulating means 6 will be force-pushed against the shank 2. This will result in an airtight seal between the cover lid 7 and 8 and the shank 2. The reinforcement angles 5 are preferably placed at the corners formed by the shanks 2, so that there are at least two reinforcement angles 5 at each side of the plate 1. The cover lids 7 and 8 are aligned with the upper surfaces of the plates 1 when they are assembled.

On their shorter sides the fiat cover lids 8 have end portions 8b (see FIG. 6) which are inwardly reset and which abut against each other when they are assembled. These end portions 8b are covered by a cover cap 10 which is in alignement with the outer surfaces of the cover lids 8 and so with the outer surfaces of the plates 1. This has an aesthetical effect. The cap 10 is screwed on the cover lids 8 by means of a countersunk bolt 12 which enters a small gap between the assembled cover lids 8.

Cover caps 11, which are screwed on the cover lids 7 by means of a countersunk bolt 12, are used to cover the ends of three cover lids 7, converging in a corner. This can be seen in FIG. 5.

The cover lids 7 and 8 as well as the insulating means 6 have the same length as the respective sides of the plates 1.

The elementary insulation plate 1 according to FIG. 7 consists of two parallel zinc metal sheets la, lb arranged at a distance from each other. The four rims of the plate 1 are pressed together and bent in such a way as to form a shank 2 which is perpendicular to the surface of the plate 1. A channel 14 is made between each shank 2 and the edge 10 of the metal sheet la by bending the rims. The shanks 2 close an interior space between the metal sheets la, 1b which space is filled with an insulation sheet 15. The plate 1 can be made more rigid by inserting pieces 13 in its corners.

The insulation sheet 15 consists of a hard porous material which is during the production of the plate consistently connected with the inside surfaces of both the metal sheets 1a, 1b and forms a lasting hard insulation reinforcement of the plate 1. In order to enable the use of apparatuses (not shown) and in order to reinforce the whole plate 1, a reinforcing U-rail 16 is arranged alongside the small sides thereof. The rail 16 is inserted between the metal sheets la, lb at the proximity of the rim of the plate 1 in such a way that it is held on its one side by the edge 10 of the metal sheet la and on its other side by the hard insulation sheet 15; besides, the free ends of the rail 16 are held by the flanged ends 1d of the metal sheet lb on that side of the plate 1 which faces the channel bottom 14. The so formed slot (see also FIG. 9) serves to receive a bolt 17 which is adjustable. The interior space of the rail 16 is filled with a soft porous material 21. A washer 18 with a threaded hole is disposed on the free flanged ends of the rail 16 in which the bolt 17 carrying e.g. a supporting arm 19 can be screwed.

On the opposite side to the side of the free flanged ends the plate and the rail 16 are pierced by a reveting socket 20. This reveting socket 20 serves for holding apparatuses or for'securing cross and longitudinal bracings for large apparatuses.

It is evident from the above described preferred embodiment of the invention that a self-carrying housing with an effective insulation and a good'carrying capacity can be assembled from the prefabricated elemen tary insulation plates as required, without using a frame construction or a supporting brick work.

While there is described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be destinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practised within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sound-absorbing, heat insulating or airtight housing for apparatuses, the walls, the bottom and the ceiling of which are assembled of elementary selfsupporting insulation plates, each plate comprising two parallel metal sheets arranged at a distance from each other defining an interior space therebetween, the rims of said sheets being pressed together and bent on each side of the plate as to form a shank and a channel, the shanks of two adjacent plates serving for connecting both plates together, .the improvement wherein the shanks and the channels of each plate lie within a space defined by planes extending through both said metal sheets, and the shanks of two adjacent plates serve as a support of an insulating means, wherein the insulation means is a soft porous material filling out a space formed at a jointure of adjacent plates, said material being covered from the outside by a cover lid aligning with the outside surfaces of the plates.

2. A housing as defined in claim 1, wherein the insulation means is pressed on said shank by said cover lid in such a manner as to form an airtight seal between the shank and the cover lid.

3. A housing as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover lid includes a rim which is adapted to be positioned between a reinforcement angle fixed on said shank and a surface segment of the plate.

4. A housing as defined in claim 3, wherein the cover lid is coextensive with a length of a surface of said plate.

5. A housing as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover lid includes reset end portions and said reset end portions of a plurality of said cover lids are positioned adjacent at an intersection of a plurality of plates, said adjacent lids are covered by a cover cap aligned with the surfaces of said plates and fastened to said plates by bolts. 

1. In a sound-absorbing, heat insulating or airtight housing for apparatuses, the walls, the bottom and the ceiling of which are assembled of elementary self-supporting insulation plates, each plate comprising two parallel metal sheets arranged at a distance from each other defining an interior space therebetween, the rims of said sheets being pressed together and bent on each side of the plate as to form a shank and a channel, the shanks of two adjacent plates serving for connecting both plates together, the improvement wherein the shanks and the channels of each plate lie within a space defined by planes extending through both said metal sheets, and the shanks of two adjacent plates serve as a support of an insulating means, wherein the insulation means is a soft porous material filling out a space formed at a jointure of adjacent plates, said material being covered from the outside by a cover lid aligning with the outside surfaces of the plates.
 2. A housing as defined in claim 1, wherein the insulation means is pressed on said shank by said cover lid in such a manner as to form an airtight seal between the shank and the cover lid.
 3. A housing as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover lid includes a rim which is adapted to be positioned between a reinforcement angle fixed on said shank and a surface segment of the plate.
 4. A housing as defined in claim 3, wherein the cover lid is coextensive with a length of a surface of said plate.
 5. A housing as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover lid includes reset end portions and said reset end portions of a plurality of said cover lids are positioned adjacent at an intersection of a plurality of plates, said adjacent lids are covered by a cover cap aligned with the surfaces of said plates and fastened to said plates by bolts. 